2017 Ford Fiesta: Which spec is best?

Ford’s light hatch is a little dated but still looks sleek and is a one of the better handling light cars with sharp steering and comfortable ride. A new Ford Fiesta has been launched in Europe, however, Ford Australia is yet to announce if or when it will be available here.

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VARIANTS

There are four Fiesta specification levels starting Ambiente (above) with an entry-level price of $15,895 with a smooth shifting five-speed manual transmission. It’s powered by an 82kW/140Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine that’s coupled with the manual gearbox or a six-speed dual-clutch auto for an extra $2000.

The Fiesta Ambiente (interior below) comes with Bluetooth hands-free phone and audio operation but no touchscreen, cloth trim, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, cruise control, power mirrors, hill launch assist and 15-inch steel wheels with hubcaps.

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Like all Fiestas, it also comes with Ford’s Emergency Assist, which uses your mobile phone to contact emergency services if the car is in a crash severe enough to trigger the air-bags. This subscription-based service is provided for the life of the car.

The Fiesta Trend (below) has the same powertrain options as the Ambiente but gains front fog light and 15-inch alloy wheels which doesn’t seem like much for the extra $2000.

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The Fiesta Sport is a true step up the range, and comes with the 92kW/170Nm 1.0-litre three-cylinder EcoBoost turbo petrol engine which, as well as being more powerful than the 1.5-litre engine in the Ambiente and Trend, is more fuel efficient. It sips fuel around 5.0L/100km compared the 1.5’s 5.8L/100km.

The Sport also gains 16-inch alloy wheels, partial leather trim, scuff plates in the door sills, ambient lighting, a better stereo and chrome highlights around the windows.

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Climate control, rain-sensing wipers, dusk sensing headlights, a perimeter alarm and keyless start can be added as a $1000 Sport Executive Pack.

The range-topping Fiesta ST has a range of performance add-ons including disc brakes on all four wheels, red brake calipers, sports body kit, torque vectoring for better grip while cornering to help it deal with its 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo engine that produces 134kW and 240Nm torque and is coupled with a six-speed manual gearbox with no automatic option.

Other ST gear includes 17-inch wheels with wider and lower profile tyres, sports front seats and puddle lights that illuminate the ground near the front door. It’s also the only Fiesta variant with a 5.0-inch touch screen and reversing camera, which was added last year.

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The variants in the Fiesta range which have the dual-clutch ‘powershift’ transmission are currently embroiled in an ongoing saga over reliability.

• Fiesta Ambiente, manual - $15,825
• Fiesta Ambiente, auto - $17,825
• Fiesta Trend, manual - $17,825
• Fiesta Trend, auto - $19,790
• Fiesta Sport, manual - $20,525
• Fiesta Sport, auto - $22,525
• Fiesta ST, manual - $25,990

OUR PICK

The Fiesta ST is the absolute stand out of the range with smile-inducing hot hatch performance without compromising its ability to be a handy daily driver around town.

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The Sport is well equipped and provides a nice drive too if you prefer fuel economy to searing acceleration and the Sport Executive Pack adds some useful functions.

AVAILABLE OPTIONS

• Sport Executive Pack - $1000
• Premium paint $500
• 15-inch CSA alloy wheels (Ambiente and Trend) - $1007
• 15-inch 15-spoke alloy wheels (Ambiente) - $1377
• 16-inch CSA alloy wheels (Sport) - $1095